Folding piano.



T. SWOGER.

FOLDING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED 13.9, 1914.

Patented Dec. 1, 19M

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IE1 lTtl- 31mm wtoz GHQ amp T. SWOGER. FOLDING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED APBHB, 1914.

Patented Dec. 1, 19-14 2 SHEETSSHBET 2 llEfiE.

4 muawto'a Win 1111 1 1 Ill/1% 1 41 MAS SW'OGER, OF WILKINSB'UEG, EENNS A ronnrn'e rreno.

Applic'xition filed April 9, 191% Serial 1*? 9. 830,760. I

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS Swosnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at liillrinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Pianos; and I do declare the following to be e full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will venable others skilled in the art to which it agape!- tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in. pianos and has for its primary object to provide an upright piano so constructed as to allow the keyboard to be swung into interior of the case and also having retractable supporting feet, these provisions being made for the purpose of diminishing the size of the instrument for the purpose of transgaortation or storage.

In carrying out the above end, it also hecornes expedient to so mount the pedals as to allow them be moved intotrhe interior of the casing.

A secondary object of the invention is therefore to provide s mple and efiicient means whereby this operation may he formed Without appreciable alteration to the parts operated thereby.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the entire key board may be removed from casing; for repairingor cleaning and to provide simple and efiicient means for locking the feet in extended or retracted position.

With and other objects invieiv, invention resides in certain novel feetnrw of construction and combination scribed and claimed and shown in the d ings wherein:

Figure l is at front elevation partly sec tion, with the parts in position ior use; 2 is a horizontal section token substantially n the line 2.2 of 3 i 3 is a vertlcal section on the line 3 3 or 1 15,9, detail horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of F 3; Fig. 5 is a detail vertia- 4 new,"

eel section on the line 55 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of portion of the key board, looking from the under side thereof and showing more particularly the location of one of the fastening hooks. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the case showing more particularly one of the bearings for supporting the key oard.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 connected by the usual hinged top 2 and solid base board 3. the sound board B 0011- st-ituting the entire rear side of the casing as is usual with devices of this character. The strings S, mechanism for opera-ting hammers H, the keys and the pedals are m common construction and need no alteration in conmuoting the instrument in accordance "with the following description. The keys K are pivotslly mounted in usual manner upon the hey board 1 Which latter is provided with end boards or checks 2' and with a of laterally projecting hearing studs 3' at its rear cor-- ners. The studs 3' are revolubly seated in curved bearing seats ivvhich are formed in the upper sides of transverse blocks 5, the latter being rigidly secured to the inner sides of? the end Wells 1 and forming; reinforcenient therefer and also constitutin ,1 1 ends or the keys i stun screws are n so sed beneath t of the hammer oneratin niechsiisni which they ooact, When hovze comes necessary to fold the hey ll hooks 8 are unfastened Wherennon tire board may he swung around its studs 5, into the interior of the e: i

this downward movement one hos 1, capstan screws move portions of the action ith whic operate thus preventi no ever thereto.

l have dcsc mounted in the beer comes necessary to movahly retaining send studs 1 a said means being here shown. as of s vpair 0:5 pivot latches or button are carried by the y adapted have th into engagement with the upper surfaces of the studs 3. When for any reason, it becomes necessary to remove the entlre key board, the buttons may be swun aside whereupon the studs 3 may be lifte outof the seats 4 thus leaving the entire key board and the keys freeto be removed.

The front of the piano, above the key board, may be covered and ornamented in any suitable manner and preferably comprises the usual panel P" which is adapted to swing outwardly and which usually carries the music rest, the keys K are likewise keys and preventing will be understood that the cover 10 folds 1nprovided with ahinged cover 10 which latter is preferably carried by a longitudinal strip 11 which is secured at its opposite ends to the cheeks 2, said strip overlying the dislocation thereof. It

wardly with the key board.

The portion of the casing, below the key I board, is closed by a removable panel 12 which carries an attaching bracket 13 on its inner side while its upper edge may be supported inposition by any suitable means such as spring catches 14 which is carried by the lower side of the kev board 1 and is adapted to engage the outer surface of said *panel when the key board is swung outwardly. The bracket 13 is adapted to engage the upper edge of a longitudinal strip or flange 15 which rises from the base board 3 of the casing, said strip 15 being provided with a number of openings, located near its center, through which the pedals P project and with openings 16 near its opposite ends, through which retractable bars 17 which carry depending feet'18 on their forward ends, are adapted to slide, the rear ends of said bars being slidably engaged with guides 19 which are carried rigidly by the baseboard 3 and are provided with set screws means of which the bars 17 may be locked in either projected or retracted position. a

As hereinbefore suggested, I provide means whereby the pedals P may be retracted when the remainder of the parts are in folded or retracted position. Forthis purpose, I have provided a plate 21, preferablv of wood, which overlies the central portion of the base board 3 and carries the pivots 2-2 of said pedals. The central portion of the plate 21 is provided with a transverse slot 23 through which projects an upright stud 24, the latter rising rigidly from said base board and receiving a thumb nut 25 on its upper end. By this construction,

' when the thumb nut 25 is loosened, the

plate 21 and the pedals P may be moved inwardly for obvious reasons. During this inward movement expedient to provide means for allowing the usual links R, employed for regulating the sound of the instrument to remain in a of the pedals, it becomes rigid position. For this purpose I have rovided said links with stops R on their ower ends, and have slotted pedals P as at 26 for the purpose of allowing the same to move upon thelinks 3 above the stops R. Thus it will tie seen that inward and outward movement of the pedals is allowed and yet the rods may assume their normal positions and may be readily operated when necessary.

From the above description, it will be seen that no appreciable amount of alteration need be made to any of the standard parts of a piano for the purpose of constructing the same in accordance with my invention. It will further be seen that by carrying outthe operation above described, the key board, the pedals and the supporting feet may allberetracted so as to appreciably diminish the size of the instrument, thus allowing the same to be moved through narrow doors, windows, and balls, or to be stored in approximately two-thirds the space which would ordinarily be required.

I have described no ornamentation whatever between the key board and the bars 1? but it is to be understood that I intend, un-

der the scope of the appended claims, to

ornament the same in any manner which may deem appropriate.

I have described my invention with considerable minuteness and have stated cerswung downwardly within the casing or upwardly to normal position, transverse guides on the base of the case, the case havmg openings registering with said guides, transverse bars slidable in the guides and openings, means for locking the bargin es:- tended or retracted position, and retractable pedals adapted to slide into the interior of the case.

2. A piano including an upright rectangm lar case, piano actions permanently mounted in the upper rear portion thereof, a key board pivoted beneath the actions to be swung downwardly within the case or upwardlyto a horizontal position, retractable supporting feet adapted to slide into the lower portion of the case,

the front of said case havinga centrally located opening near its lower end, a member mounted for lateral sliding movement upon the base of the case,

pedals pivoted to said member and adapted slide through the opening, and means for locking said member in adjusted position,

' said pedals being adapted to operate the its lower end, a transversely slotted pivot plate overlying the base of the case, a threaded stud rising from said base through the slot, a nut on said stud, pedals pivoted to said plate and slidable through said opening, said pedals being adapted to operate the sound damper.

In testimony Whereoi l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS SEVOGER,

Witnesses:

E. W. Toznn, L. J. GREENAWALT. 

